Cuban-born American singer Gloria Estefan broke cultural barriers with chart-topping hits, such as "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" and "Conga." She's hailed as one of the most successful crossover performers in music history, yet she never forgets her birthplace, often paying tribute to her Cubita Linda (beautiful, little Cuba).

"We need immigration reform and unfortunately every time there is an election, these issues get drummed up and the politics start getting involved and it is very hard to get anything passed," she told NBC Latino. "Look at where we are living now with the debt ceiling, and trying to pass the budget. It would be great, for example, if we had a worker program so that people can come and work here and do the jobs that nobody wants to really do."

Earlier this year, Estefan and her husband Emilio met Pope Francis when they were invited to take part in a private mass at the Vatican in April.

In an interview with El Nuevo Herald, Emilio Estefan said: "Gloria told him (Pope Francis), 'We now have the pleasure of having a pope who speaks Spanish and understand our needs and the pain of Hispanic people.'"

He added that Gloria also told Pope Francis that his mission as the new pontiff "will bring peace and freedom to the world.'" She also asked Pope Francis to "keep Cuba and its current situation in his thoughts," adding, "'All I ask is to not forget that Cuba has many problems with human rights,'" Emilio Estefan said.

The couple traveled to Rome in response to an invitation to attend TEDx ViaDella Conciliazione, an event organized by TED, a non-profit organization devoted to spreading ideas. She was one of 20 world personalities invited to the event.

Estefan is one of Billboard Magazine's top 100 best-selling artists of all time; a seven-time Grammy Award winner who has sold over 100 million albums worldwide.

She's releasing a new album, "The Standards," which includes great American classics. She put her signature spin on the classic songs by adding a variety of languages sung in English, Spanish, Italian Portuguese and French.